Slow Travel Berlin

Beirut

SLOW TRAVEL BERLINBeirut, C-Halle, 8pm

Although the music of Beirut was born in a New Mexico bedroom, the songs have always had a feeling far bigger than their origins.

This is likely because Zach Condon, mastermind behind the indie chamber pop band, found his inspiration from sources wide and far; he cites jazz music as a primary influence, but he also picked up musical traditions of ethnic groups during worldwide travels with his brother.

Now, six years, five EPs, and three albums after emerging on the scene, the boy with the Balkan roots has displayed such an extensive and global-infused repertoire that he can no longer be relegated to any one kind of genre.

And although his last album, 2011′s “The Rip Tide,” is a much more introspective release than those prior–both lyrically and in terms of musical composition–Condon is still exploring. Only this time, instead of going beyond himself, he’s focusing on what all that worldly exploring overlooked: his own roots. Natalye Childress